Effects of adrenergic agonists on gastric secretion in the rat

Evidence for the involvement of a muscarinic receptor in ascorbic acid secretion in the rat stomach

It has been demonstrated that ascorbic acid is present in human gastric juice at a very high level even in the fasting state. In this study, we confirmed such a physiological event in pylorus-ligated rats and investigated the mechanism for gastric ascorbic acid secretion using the rat in vivo perfusion method. Gastric juice from fasting rats after a 4-hr ligation contained a 6-fold higher level of ascorbic acid than that in sera, indicating the presence of its active transport system across the gastric wall. To identify an endogenous mediator, four kinds of gastric stimulants were compared for their secretory abilities. Although all four secretagogues used stimulated acid secretion to comparable levels, ascorbic acid secretion was stimulated only by carbamylcholine chloride (carbachol). Carbachol-stimulated ascorbic acid secretion was abolished by atropine pretreatment, showing that it is mediated via a muscarinic cholinergic receptor. This cholinergic stimulation was also demonstrated in a rat mutant that genetically lacks the ability to synthesize ascorbic acid in the liver, similar to humans. In addition, a potent inhibitor of the gastric proton pump, which is a final regulatory component in the mechanism of acid secretion, caused no inhibition of ascorbic acid secretion in Osteogenic Disorder Shionogi (ODS) rats. These results are the first evidence indicating that ascorbic acid, the reduced form of vitamin C, is actively and independently secreted into the gastric juice under regulation of a cholinergic receptor system.

Effect of naloxone on vagally-induced gastric acid secretion in rats

Previous studies in man and dogs have demonstrated that endogenous opioids participate in the stimulation of cephalic phase gastric acid secretion during indirect activation of the vagus. Since the effect of naloxone during direct vagal activation is unknown gastric acid secretion was assessed during electrical stimulation of the distal cut ends of both vagal nerves. In overnight fasted anesthetized rats the distal ends of the bisectioned cervical vagi were stimulated with 10V, 5Hz, 5 msec for 15 min. Vagal stimulation elicited an increase of gastric acid secretion by 5.6 mumol/min. Naloxone (1 mumol/kg.h) augmented gastric acid secretion significantly. Since this effect of naloxone was in contrast to previous data possible mechanisms of action of naloxone were examined that might help to explain this apparently inhibitory action of endogenous opioids on vagally-induced gastric acid secretion. The additional infusion of atropine or hexamethonium abolished the stimulatory effect of naloxone on vagally-induced acid secretion completely indicating that the action of naloxone depends on cholinergic background activity. Combined blockade of alpha- and beta-adrenergic receptors with phetolamine and propanolol reduced vagally-induced acid secretion in controls and during naloxone to a similar degree. Both adrenergic blocking agents also reduced the residual acid secretion observed during atropine or atropine + naloxone infusion. Measurements of plasma gastrin levels suggested that the naloxone-induced changes of acid secretion were not due to alterations of gastrin secretion. In summary these data demonstrate that vagally-induced acid secretion in anesthetized rats is largely due to cholinergic mechanisms with a small but separate contribution of adrenergic mechanisms. Endogenous opioids are activated during peripheral vagal stimulation attenuating vagally-induced acid secretion by modulation of cholinergic but not adrenergic mechanisms.

Potentiating action of hexoprenaline on 14C-aminopyrine uptake by isolated rat parietal cells

Hexoprenaline potentiated the 14C-aminopyrine uptake (a reliable index of H+ generation) of isolated rat gastric cells stimulated by 10(-6) -10(-4) mol/l carbachol, and inhibited that in response to 10(-4) mol/l histamine without and in the presence of propranolol. It is concluded that hexoprenaline acts as a partial agonist on parietal cell H2-receptors and that beta-adrenoceptor activation may functionally modulate gastric acid secretion.

Comparison of cAMP system in parietal cells from rat and guinea pig

Adenylyl cyclase activity, cAMP content, and activation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase were measured in rat and guinea pig parietal cells isolated by the same procedure. Incubation of parietal cells with histamine resulted in aminopyrine uptake, stimulation of adenylyl cyclase activity, accumulation of intracellular cAMP, and activation of cAMP-dependent protein kinase. In addition, aminopyrine uptake and the cAMP system were stimulated in rat cells by epinephrine, whereas guinea pig cells were unresponsive to epinephrine. It is suggested that there may be differences between the two species with regard to receptors on the parietal cells.

Effects of pentagastrin, histamine, carbamylcholine and catecholamines on gastric secretion, motility and emptying in the rat

We developed a simplified method for the simultaneous measurement of gastric secretion and gastric motility in the rat. By using this method, we investigated the actions of pentagastrin, histamine, carbamylcholine and catecholamines on the stomach. Carbamylcholine stimulated acid secretion and induced contraction of the stomach, but norepinephrine tended to inhibit acid secretion and induced relaxation of the stomach. Histamine induced relaxation first and then contraction after 2-5 min. Pentagastrin induced a relaxation that did not show dose dependence, but tachyphylaxis. Isoproterenol, which stimulated acid secretion in our experiments, induced relaxation of the stomach in a dose-dependent manner. We also investigated the relationship between gastric motility and gastric emptying. Carbamylcholine caused an enhancement of gastric emptying, but isoproterenol caused its suppression. Pentagastrin, histamine and norepinephrine did not affect gastric emptying. As shown in the results of our experiments, carbamylcholine caused stimulation of acid secretion, contraction of the stomach, and enhancement of gastric emptying. However, other secretagogues did not always induce contraction of the stomach or increase gastric emptying.

The mechanism of gastrin release in cysteamine-induced duodenal ulcer

Duodenal ulcer can be induced in rats by a single dose of cysteamine. The ulcer formation is accompanied by acid hypersecretion and elevated serum gastrin levels. This study was performed to elucidate the mechanisms of gastrin release after an ulcerogenic dose of cysteamine. Cysteamine induced a rise in serum gastrin from 29 +/- 5 pg/ml to a maximum of 203 +/- 62 pg/ml after 3 h in unoperated rats, whereas no rise was seen in vagotomized or antrectomized rats. The beta-adrenergic blocking agent propranolol strongly inhibited cysteamine-induced gastrin release, whereas atropine dependent on an intact vagus and may be mediated by beta-adrenergic receptors.

Adrenergic stimulation of isolated rat gastric mucosal cells. Effect on adenylate cyclase and 14C-aminopyrine uptake

Adrenergic stimulation of the adenylate cyclase (AC)-cAMP-system and 14C-aminopyrine accumulation, an indirect measure of parietal cell H+-production, was studied in a different preparations of gastric mucosal cells. The beta 2-adrenoceptor agonist hexoprenaline activated AC of crude homogenates from the gastric corpus of mouse, rat, guinea-pig, hog, dog and man. In isolated rat gastric cells (20% parietal cells), treated by low power sonication, 10(-8) to 10(-3) mol/l adrenaline and hexoprenaline activated AC equally potently and efficaciously by maximally 170%. Isoprenaline proved to be less effective activating up to 80%. 5.10(-5) mol/l GMP-PNP augmented basal activity 8.5 times and reduced the maximal efficacy. Adrenaline and hexoprenaline activated AC by maximally 120%, isoprenaline by 40%. The potency of adrenaline was 4 times lower, that of hexoprenaline 2 and that of isoprenaline 4 times higher in the presence of GMP-PNP. Adrenergic stimulation was inhibited by the beta-adrenoceptor antagonist propranolol, the effect of alpha-adrenoceptor-blockade by phenoxybenzamine was less pronounced. In fractions with 7-80% of parietal cells, prepared by isopycnic centrifugation with Percoll, adrenaline and hexoprenaline activated AC or hexoprenaline enhanced the cellular levels of cAMP in parietal cell poor and rich fractions. The degree of activation in response to histamine correlated with the number of parietal cells. 14C-Aminopyrine uptake was increasingly stimulated through 10(-8) to 10(-5) mol/l hexoprenaline, maximally by doubling the basal accumulation. 10(-4) mol/l histamine was 8 times more effective. 3.10(-7) mol/l propranolol inhibited the effect of 10(-5) mol/l hexoprenaline by 80%. The data suggest the localization of beta-adrenoceptors (likely beta 2-adrenoceptors) on parietal and other nonidentified gastric cells. At the parietal cell, adrenaline and hexoprenaline initiate activation of AC and hexoprenaline leads to H+-production. The responses are small compared to the effect of histamine. Thus, beta-adrenoceptor agonists exert intrinsic activity in relation to H+-production. Their influence on stimulated secretion of isolated cells remains to be elucidated.

Inhibitory alpha 2-adrenergic mechanism regulating gastric secretion in pylorus-ligated rats

Several alpha-adrenoceptor agonists given intracerebroventricularly or subcutaneously to rats were assessed for their effects on gastric secretion under condition of pylorus ligation. Intracerebroventricular injection of alpha-adrenoceptor agonists reduced gastric secretion, in the following order (relative potency, clonidine = 1): oxymetazoline (100) greater than clonidine (1) greater than methoxamine (0.024) greater than phenylephrine (0.003). The antisecretory effects of oxymetazoline and clonidine given intracerebroventricularly were antagonized with yohimbine administered by the same route. Subcutaneous injection of alpha-adrenoceptor agonists also reduced gastric secretion, in the following order (relative potency, clonidine = 1): clonidine (1) greater than oxymetazoline (0.3), much greater than phenylephrine (0.001) approximately methoxamine (0.0006). Oxymetazoline, when given intracerebroventricularly, was most effective in decreasing the volume and titratable acidity of gastric secretion. Pretreatment with 6-hydroxydopamine intracerebroventricularly (250 micrograms/rat x 2; 72 and 120 h before) reduced the antisecretory effect of clonidine given intracerebroventricularly. Thus, gastric secretion appears to be regulated in an inhibitory manner by alpha 2-, but not by alpha 1- adrenoceptors in the central and peripheral nervous systems, in pylorus-ligated rats.

Is somatostatin or a somatostatin-like peptide involved in central nervous system control of gastric secretion?

Intracisternal injection of octapeptide analogs of somatostatin (SS), Cys-Phe-Phe-D-Trp-Lys-Thr-Phe-Cys (des-AA1,2,4,5,12,13-[D-Trp8]SS (ODT8-SS)) and Cys-Phe-Phe-D-Trp-Lys-Thr-Phe-D-Cys, increased the volume and the acid output of gastric secretion in rats. ODT8-SS given intravenously did not affect basal gastric secretion. The gastrosecretory effect of ODT8-SS, administered intracisternally is dose-dependent (0.01-1 micrograms), long acting, reversible, specific, and abolished by vagotomy, or systemic injection of atropine or SS. SS (5-10 micrograms) or [D-Trp8]SS (1 microgram) had no effect on gastric secretion when given intracisternally. These results demonstrate that some octapeptide SS analogs, unlike SS or other SS analogs, have the capability to act in the brain to induce a vagal dependent stimulation of gastric secretion.